I have an invoice from when I replaced the batteries on my Amel 54 and I am sure I replaced them with what Amel recommended at the time. The size was Group 31. There are big but sometimes small  hard to notice differences in closely numbered battery group sizes. These tiny differences become very obvious when you try to install the wrong size of 13 different new batteries in a space designed to hold Group 31’s . For what it’s worth, my batteries were maintenance free lead-calcium sealed types and  lasted almost exactly 4 years and were not  quite dead but dying. As my 54 was my demonstration boat for the North American market and was only sailed around 8,000 miles a year . It was on a dock with shore power and the 30 amp charger on 24/7 to keep the fridge/freezers happy, I got more battery life than boats that were on the hook more often than not. Steady supply to demand fosters longer battery life. I was unfortunate to only be able to be on the anchor less than a month each year. Full time jobs do this…

In having sold hundreds of brokerage Amel boats over the past 39 years, I can offer you these observations. Up until about five years ago, boats that were actively cruised at least 9 months each year and dependent on using the diesel propulsion engine or the generator for charging seemed to average about 3 years on a set of lead acid batteries. With the advent of better alternators with smart/adaptive/controllable regulation,  much more efficient solar panels and control mechanisms that are also efficient, the same lead acid batteries now days seem to be lasting about four years and sometimes five and six. Steady electrical flow in/out and not depleting the batteries into the danger zone would seem to be the logical explanation.

I am just now starting to resell boats with Firefly and Lithium Ion batteries  and, so far, nothing but love for them from selling owners. I think this is because they are rather expensive and get better care than what we thought of as disposable lead acids, as well as being technologically superior. I have also noted a phenomenon over the  four decades of selling Amel and other better quality boats that the more an emerging technology costs, the more the person who wrote the check attempts to rationalize and justify any less than stellar experiences.

Of course, there are so many variables with charging systems that this epistle should be viewed as opinion based on a wide swath of experience and certainly not absolute fact.

 

Have fun with your Amel, Joel    

 

             JOEL F. POTTER-CRUISING YACHT SPECIALIST~L.L.C.

                                           THE  EXPERIENCED AMEL GUY

UNSURPASSED AMEL MARKETING EXPERIENCE AND PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

                                   Office 954-462-5869  Cell 954-812-2485

 

 

From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> On Behalf Of Paul Dowd and Sharon Brown
Sent: Saturday, November 9, 2019 10:29 AM
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Amel 54 battery group

 

Gary,

 

Thanks, yes it was the group part I was interested in. It just makes it a bit easier when researching potential replacements.

 

Cheers,

Paul

S/Y Ya Fohi - Amel 54 #98

 

From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> On Behalf Of Gary Wells
Sent: 09 November 2019 10:50
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Amel 54 battery group

 

When I had a failure of two batteries and ended up replacing the bank Injse grp29 AC Delco lead acids. They served quite well.  
I am pretty sure that the grp27/29/30/31 are (nearly) identical in size and then differences lie ni capacity and post arrangement.
Most recently I installed a Trojan 30xhs set and am quite pleased.  
It was a snug fit but they are nice batteries. 
So, I said all that and you'll be looking at agm's but I wanted to try to answer the 'group number' part. 
Measurements are readily available from almost any manufacturer's website. A secure for matters :) .

Gary W.
SM209, Adagio
Charleston, SC

--
Cheers
Paul
Ya Fohi - Amel 54 #98

Hello all,

PLEASE HELP AND TAKE PITY :)

After 38 knots in the bay last night I am 'keen as hell' to get out of here! Apparently in 4 days next week, mother nature is going to give us a re-run for a couple of days, which may at least save us the hassle of handwashing our clothes if we put them in a large bucket before hand!

So something is amiss with our charging system, as such the windlass can't retrieve the anchor and neither can the mrs by hand. Batteries are shot and I have limited ah till I replace. I suspect regulator diode issue but please read and chip in with thoughts/experiences.

It's an Amel Euros 41, 1976, MD21a engine.
It had two alternators when I purchased the boat a couple of months ago, but pictures show only one now as of today. I've started stripping dodgy batteries and the discovered dodgy alternator to simplify the matter.
The picture shows what I believe is the OEM design, a single alternator connected to the starter.
The upper alternator was faulty, (bracket showing) tested at 2 places as it happens. I 'think' this has an external regulator and no idea what the relay would be for given that also shown in the pictures.

I actually don't need at this stage the upper broken 2nd alternator repaired and in the situation. With solar/wind and shore power when connected, it should have enough charge, providing I don't need to crank the engine diagnosing other issues, but that's another day. Being in the Greek islands for now, we are never going to be far from land, if this changes, I'll readdress moving forward.

So thoughts;

- Is there a way to confirm the diode block, if I am correct pointing at that is faulty? 
- If found to be the problem are there local fixes/alternatives suitable for a wiring monkey at best as my surname is not Faraday? I understand the Volvo part which is sealed is expensive and on an island in Greece, probably not quick to get other than priority pigeon from Athens.
- If I am off course here, what else can I consider?
- The Amel switch also shown in the pictures is due for being replaced, but I don't want to change too much too soon unless I just pay for someone to do it all. It's not just purely $$ but knowledge too. This is part of the reason for purchasing this ark. Does anyone have schematics for this switch so I can understand the terminals please?
- The other picture showing a wire that clearly looks like it should be connected to the starter, wasn't previously. The connection had to be widened to get on the terminal, and when I did that, it sounds I think a low-pressure alarm, but it looks aftermarket. Either way, having this on or not made no difference to V or A at the battery.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

Andrew

That’s exactly what , Gilles from Karin team , Amel specialist , told me about that . 

Envoyé de mon iPhone

Le 9 nov. 2019 à 16:56, amelforme <jfpottercys@...> a écrit :

MORE THAN YOU EVER WANTD TO KNOW ABOUT AMEL GEL COAT CRACKS.

 

The reason that the gel coat cracks at the bow and other places is purely cosmetic and is simply caused by the gel coat being too thick. Gel coat is essentially just polyester resin with pigment to add color and perhaps some ultra violet inhibitors. It has very little strength on its own and is extremely brittle if a thickness of more than about 20 mils is exceeded. For my metric based friends out there, a ‘mil’ is one thousandth of an inch. Amel thickened up the gel coat in several places to level or seal a seam/joint instead of using polyester fairing compound with the proper gel coat thickness on top of that. The gel coat is also way too thick at the aft end of the ‘rub rail’ on the Fango, Santorin, Super Maramu and Amel 54. Also, up until the production of the Amel 55, the gel coat used on all Amel boats to simulate the raised grain of weathered teak is also too thick. Go look at 51’ Mango or 48’  Maramu and unless the boat has been very well cared for or never ventured much below 45 degrees latitude, you will find hairline cracks and worse as the gel coat loses esters and dries out from sun exposure and other factors . 303 spray on sun protection and Polytrol both do a good job at delaying the onslaught of gel coat degradation. With Polytrol, go easy. Enough is good. More than enough is not better.

How do I know this? Jacques Carteau, who at the time was not only the technical manager at Amel but the Chairman as well, was giving me some routine technical training when I asked him about the gel coat failures I was beginning to see more often on older boats. He gave me pretty much the explanation above.  When I asked him why they didn’t fair with fairing compound and use 20 mils of gel coat as the top coat I got the look I often received when I had exceeded either my question quota for the day or his patience, That time I think it was both…

To properly repair the cracks you need to sand the gel coat that has the crack until you see that the crack is gone and the surrounding gel coat is almost all gone in order to get rid of the too thick gel coat. Use a compatible polyester or better yet epoxy filing/fairing compound to level or to allow shaping of the repair area then apply the proper 20 mil thickness of new gel coat. Hint, use gel coat with wax mixed in to avoid having to use pvc or similar to form an atmospheric barrier that will allow the gel coat to cure properly.

 

Have fun with your Amel, Joel     

 

             JOEL F. POTTER-CRUISING YACHT SPECIALIST~L.L.C.

                                           THE  EXPERIENCED AMEL GUY

UNSURPASSED AMEL MARKETING EXPERIENCE AND PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

                                   Office 954-462-5869  Cell 954-812-2485

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> On Behalf Of James Alton via Groups.Io
Sent: Saturday, November 9, 2019 8:41 AM
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Cracks on bow sprit

 

Jarek

 

   Fiberglass that is fractured does not break along nice straight lines per your photo.  Those look like joints to me.   Oliver could probably tell you for sure but I suspect that the parts forming the outer rail portions of the anchor platform were fabricated and installed as separate parts and the “cracks” you see are the mating/bonding lines. 

James

 

SV Sueno

Maramu #220

 

On Nov 8, 2019, at 7:16 PM, Jarek Zemlo <zemlo.jarek@...> wrote:

 

Hello to all,

I am doing a survey on Amel SM and found 2 cracks on the bow which looks serious. Like to ask if somebody had experience similar situation and if this is something to worry about or just easy repair issue? See attached picture.

Best regards
--
Jarek Zemlo

<C1B7F5A3-4713-41C5-B670-F3EF136935AD.jpeg>

 

I'm wondering if the Antal 120x18 jib blocks on Wanderer need some TLC.  If you try to spin the sheave, there is too much friction to permit it to spin.  It can be turned with thumb and forefinger with enough resistance that one must grip tightly.

I looked on the Antal site but did not find a maintenance manual.  

Can anyone comment on the maintenance for this block?

Thanks,
Duane
Wanderer, SM#477

Hello to all,

I am doing a survey on Amel SM and found 2 cracks on the bow which looks serious. Like to ask if somebody had experience similar situation and if this is something to worry about or just easy repair issue? See attached picture.

Best regards
--
Jarek Zemlo